Ways of forming imperatives

There are no special imperative verb forms or imperative sentence structures in Navajo. Any sentence with a second or a fourth person subject can be understood as imperative as long as the meaning of the rest of the sentence allows it.

Navajo has sentences that can be used as commands or requests, formed with a second person subject, with the verb in certain modes. There also are less direct ways of making commands or requests that are formed with a fourth person subject. These sentences can be affirmative or negative. Below are examples of each of these:

Second Person Affirmation

(1)
Shíká ’anilyeed.
1-for 2-run.I
Help me. / You’re helping me. (lit. You’re running for me.)

Second Person Negation

Optative

(2)
Mósí ch’óółt’e’.
cat out-3-2-take.Opt
Don’t put the cat out! (YMM 1992:882) [[CHECK with speakers]]

Optative + lágo

(3)
Mósí ch’óółt’e’ lágo.
cat out-3-2-carry.O hope.not
Don’t put the cat out! / I hope you don’t put the cat out.

t’áadoo V-

(4)
T’áadoo ’anit’íní!
neg 2-do.NI-Í
Don’t do that!

Fourth Person Affirmative

(5)
Hatáaldi jigháahgo hozhdísin łeh.
ceremony-at 4-go.I-GO 4-respect.NI usually
One should be respectful when one goes to a ceremony.

Fourth Person Negation

(6)
Doo ’ájíníi da!
neg 4-say.NI -neg
One doesn’t say that!

The imperfective mode yields an immediate imperative (i.e., something that requires immediate action), and the future mode is more likely to be used for commands that are less immediate. The optative mode is often used with imperative negations. See also Reichard (1951:137), YM (1987:204), and YMM (1992:881f.). YM (1987:204-5) presents examples of imperatives in numerous aspects. We do not repeat this work here but refer the reader to these sources.

In Navajo, commands seem to be indirect, arising by implication and inference. Sentences with fourth person subjects are often general statements about what constitutes good behavior. The person spoken to is left to infer that the reason the speaker chose to utter the general statement is to affect the hearer’s behavior. Hence, there can be an implication of a command. Statements using the optative mode with lágo express the hopes of the speaker (‘I hope you don’t do this’ or ‘I hope that doesn’t happen’). The behavior in question is understood to be inconsistent with the speaker's desires. If the speaker is in a position of authority, the result is an indirect imperative.

Glossing conventions and a note on morphology are here [link].

An example search has returned 50 entries

Hííłch’į’go ’íinda ta’iideeshnih.

evening.GO until 1-mix.dough.F

’Áko ’índa yáníłti’ bidííniid.

after.that 2.talk.I 3-1.told.P

'Áłahji’ tó dilchxoshí síníł’ą́.

always water popping-Í 3-2-keep.SPN

-ąąh

-í + -jígo

Át’ah ’índa shaa náádíídááł.

later 1-to again-2-come.F

Bee ’atiní ’éí doo ’ashohodoobéézhgóó bee ’azk’az.

freezer TOP extremely 3-with 3-cold.SPN

Ch’ééh jiyáán náánááshdą́ą́’.

watermelon again-1-eat.R
listenloadingplaying

I ate watermelon again.

Chidíłtsooí bidááh síńzį́į dooleeł.

car-yellow-REL 3-for 2-stand.SPN FUT
listenloadingplaying

You wait for the yellow bus.

Da’ dibé nee hólǫ́?

Q sheep 2-with 3-exist.NI

dadiilyį́į́h

pl-3DO-1dpl-melt.it.I

daoohgish

pl-3DO-2dpl-make.one.cut.in.it.I

Deenásts’aa’ sh naaldloosh ńt’éé’ shimá siiłtsą́, yiniinaa násineestsxas.

ram 1-with 3-trot.CI past 1-mother 1-3-see.P 3-because 1-3-whip.P

Dibé bighan báátis dah yiishte’.

Sheep corral 3-over up 1-climb.P

Dibé yah ánáádanołkaad!

sheep inside semelit-pl-2pl-gather.I

Díí dziłígíí shádi’ááh bich’ijígo ’ałkéé’ ’adíítąąd.

this mountain-Comp southward 3-toward-GO one-behind-another 3Pl-scatter.NP
listenloadingplaying

These mountains are strung out, one behind the other toward the south.

doo deighánígóó

Dzi’izí bikee’ náásxis nít’éé’ bił daalkaałí baa’íí’á.

bicycle 3-tire 3-3-turn.Prog past nail 3-into-3-extend.NP

Ha’át’íísh nizhé’é nayiisnii’?

what-Q 2-father 3-3-buy.P

Ha’ąądi dibé bighan.

areal-other.side sheep 3-corral
listenloadingplaying

The sheep corral is on the other side (of the hill).

Haashíyee’ ’ahíłká ’ańdiijah.

let’s.see each.other-for together-1du-run.pl.F
listenloadingplaying

Let’s cooperate with one another and see what happens.

hadííníłbįįd

3DO-2-fill.something.up.with.it.P

haiłgéésh

3DO-3-cut.it.out.I

hajíígeed

3DO-4-dig.it.out.P

háidí

John dáádílkałdóó sizį́į́ dóó ’áádę́ę́’ déez’į́į́’.

John door-from 3-stand.SPN and there-from 3-look.CI
listenloadingplaying

John is standing at the doorway and looking this way.

Joołísh ’atiin tsé’naa ’ahííníłhan doodaii’ daats’í ’anít’i’ báhátis ’ahííníłhan?

ball-Q road across 3-2-throw.P or perhjaps fence 3-over 3-2-throw.P

Kingóó ’anááda’iisdee’.

town-to again-pl-3-go.R
listenloadingplaying

Everyone went to town again.

KinŁánídi ’ííníshta’ ńt’éé’ ’áádóó t’áá ’ániidígo ’áadi náánísdzáá ńtéé’ ’ééhosisya’ lá.

Flagstaff-in 1-study.P past and.then just recently there-at 1-return.P past 1-get.hazy.P disc
listenloadingplaying

I was young I went to school in Flagstaff but I returned there recently to find that I’m so hazy about things that I barely recognize the place.

Mósí yázhí chizhtah yiyah yilwod.

kitten woodpile.among 3-under 3-run.P
listenloadingplaying

The kitten ran under the woodpile.

Nahółtą́ą́’ laanaa t’óó daniidzin.

rain hope just pl-3pl-want.O
listenloadingplaying

We wish it would rain.

nidadiilyeeł

pl-3DO-1dpl-carry.a.ropelike.thing.around.F

nisélá

3DO-1-carry.a.ropelike.thing.around.P

Niłísh bééhosin doodaii’ biłísh bééhozin?

2-with-Q 3-know.CI or 3-with-Q 3-know.CI

Ólta’di ndeii’néego ’ashkii ła’ kin bizánághahdę́ę́’ shich’į’ ch’élwodgo b ’ahídégoh.

school-at 1pl-play.I-GO boy some building-3-around-from 1-to out-3-run.P-GO 3-with 3-1-collide.P

Sáanii ’éétsoh bi’oh ’ádaníłtso.

women coat 3-less.than indef-Pl-3.size.N

t’ahdii

T’áá ká ’adinoólgháásh lágo.

neg 2-oversleep.O LÁGO

T’ááłáhádi kin binída’shiilzhiizh dóó hooghangóó dah ńdiikai.

once-at house 3-into-Pl-1dpl-dance.P home-toward start start-1dpl-go.pl.P

T’iis bąąh nidaohna’.

cottonwood 3-on pl-2dpl-climb.I

Táá’ daats’í shinááhaigo Hwéeldi hoolyéégóó sh dah ’adiiná níigo halne’ łeh shicheii.

three maybe 1-year.P-GO Fort.Sumner-at areal-be.called-toward 1-with start.off 3-migrate.P 3-say.NI-GO 4-tell. usually 1-grandfather

Tówónaanígóó ch’aazhdóya’ laanaa.

overseas-to 3-1-travel.O hope
listenloadingplaying

I wish to travel overseas.

Tsé taah héjaa’go tó ńlínígíí bikáá’ ha’naa shił ni’ílwod.

stone water-into 3-1-put-.P-GO stream 3-on area-across 1-with 3-run.P
listenloadingplaying

Putting stones into the water, I drove across the stream.

Tʼáadoo tʼóó yílnishí.

NEG just 2-work.Prog-í

Yéego ’ííníłta’, shi’awéé’, ’áko nizhónígo ni’dííłtah.

really 2-study.NI 1-baby so well 2-graduate.F

yiishjį́į́’

Perfective Mode: 1-become.black.P

yishhį́į́h

3DO-1-melt.it.(snow).I

Yiską́ągo ’azee’ííłíní niwoo’ yideeshnish doo.

tomorrow doctor 2-teeth 3-2-work.F will.be
listenloadingplaying

Tomorrow the doctor will begin working on your teeth.

yínídlą́ą́’

3DO-2-drink.it.P

yíníyą́ą́’

3DO-2-eat.it.P